Botany
How the Poppy Came to Symbolize World War I
The red flowers blooming on a battlefield in Belgium, inspired John McCrae to write the war poem “In Flanders Fields”
The Science of Good Chocolate
Meet the sensory scientist who is decoding the terroir of chocolate—and working to safeguard the cacao plant that gives us the sweet dark treat
136,000 Varieties of Rice Are Now Protected in Perpetuity
An annual $1.4 million funding grant will allow the International Rice Research Institute to help develop drought, heat- and flood-resistant rice varieties
Genome Reveals When Opium Poppy Became a Painkiller
A combination of two genes over 7.8 million years ago was the first step to producing morphine and other narcotic compounds
Sequencing of Wheat Genome Could Lead to a Breadier Future
It took 200 scientists 13 years to finally figure out the complex genome of the important grain
Egyptians Cracked Recipe for Embalming Resin Well Before Time of the Pharaohs
A new analysis shows that the Egyptian mummies were being made long before 2600 B.C.
Could Houseplants Keep Tabs on the Health of Your Home?
Researchers at the University of Tennessee look at the possibility of using plants as biosensors to detect dangers like mold or radon
Art, Science and Religion Blend in Exhibition Honoring Illustrator Orra White Hitchcock
Orra’s paintings and drawings depict the natural world in colorful detail
How the Scent of Angry Bees Could Protect Elephants
A new study shows elephants fear bee pheromones, and this fact could keep the pachyderms out of crops
Europe Applies Strict Regulations to CRISPR Crops
A court has ruled that plants modified with CRISPR technology are subject to the restrictions of the 2001 GMO Directive
The Botanical Artist Who Translates Plant Science Into Beautiful Art
The Smithsonian’s first and only botanical illustrator brings her subjects to life in all their scientific glory
A Botanical Wonderland Resides in the World of Rare and Unusual Books
The Smithsonian’s librarian and antiquarian Leslie Overstreet time travels, sharing centuries of horticultural splendors
Ben Franklin May Be Responsible for Bringing Tofu to America
How a letter of 1770 may have ushered the Chinese staple into the New World
After 150 Years, This Bizarre Plant Was Rediscovered in Malaysia
<em>Thismia neptunis</em> spends most of its life underground, only making a rare appearance to bloom
What Sedated Plants Can Teach Scientists About Anesthetizing People
The same drugs that knock us out or numb our wounds can also be used on our leafy friends
America’s First “Food Spy” Traveled the World Hunting for Exotic Crops
A new book details the life of adventurer-botanist David Fairchild
How a Pioneering Botanist Broke Down Japan’s Gender Barriers
Kono Yasui was the first Japanese woman to publish in an academic journal, forging a new path for women in her country
Brazil Begins Effort to Plant 73 Million Trees in the Amazon
The experiment in reforestation involves spreading native seeds instead of planting saplings
How Artificial Intelligence Could Revolutionize Archival Museum Research
A new study shows off a computer program’s specimen-sorting prowess
Eight Places to See Amazing Fall Foliage Outside of New England
Autumn blazes in these off-the-beaten-path locations
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